CHARLES E. MARSHALL -- 5th CAVALRYLEFT A WIFE AND CHILD AT HOME - During the course of its lifetimebetween November 1861 and July 1865, Company H of the 5th Cavalry had199 people cycle through its ranks. When the company left SaratogaSprings for Washington in 1861, it had 79 privates, a wagoner, 2farriers, 2 buglers, 8 corporals, 4 sergeants, an orderly sergeant, aquartermaster sergeant, 2 1st lieutenants and a captain.Charles E. Marshall was a 22-year-old farmer who enlisted in Plattsburghon August 30, 1864, as a private and was destined to be one of the 227men of the regiment who died of disease.Charles joined his regiment just after they had been transferred fromthe Army of the Potomac to the Army of the Shenandoah. The regimentstayed in the Shenandoah Valley for the rest of the war. In November1864, they were ordered to act as escort for General Sheridan, who wascommander of the Army of the Shenandoah, and occupied that positionuntil the following April when he went to join General Grant on theAppomattox Campaign. In addition, their duties mainly consisted ofpicket duties for the corps and burning fields, grist mills and barnswith occasional participation in battles. They mustered out on July 19,1865, at Winchester, VA.Charles became ill and died at Winchester on January 6,1865, about fourand a half months after he enlisted. His wife, Mary, started receivingher Widow's Pension in February 1865. In 1869, a pension was granted fortheir minor child.
